He [Dr. Frishman] was kind but very stereotyped in his presentation. It felt like a class or a speech cs a consultation. It felt impersonal. As a surgeon he was excellent. I liked him and had no major issues with him...During appointments it was all statistics and a canned speech especially about age. I was given the clear message-not likely to succeed. However, this doctor did do my D& C with hysteroscopy and on that morning (as my surgeon, outside of the office atmosphere where he seemed rushed) he was calm & compassionate.
A nurse [from Women & Infants Hospital] called with mistaken dosing instructions which I knew were wrong (an overdose) but she argued with me and I had to page the doctor on call (Wheeler) who corrected the mistake but never acknowledged it or apsogized (no one did) even though it resulted in a canceled cycle... My doctor- Frishman-did call after the holiday and apologized but at least he acknowledged the mistake. He offered remorse and follow up hormone testing which definitively proved I had ovulated on the accidental higher dose instructed. He offered new protocol options going forward but at that point I could not trust his team so I went elsewhere. Unfortunately it was a very negative experience.
How was your experience with Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
He was kind but very stereotyped in his presentation. It felt like a class or a speech cs a consultation. It felt impersonal. As a surgeon he was excellent. I liked him and had no major issues with him but his association and staff were absolutely horrible.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
Find out when he's not in call because if you get Dr Wheeler it's no Beuno.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
During appointments it was all statistics and a canned speech especially about age. I was given the clear message-not likely to succeed. However, this doctor did do my D& C with hysteroscopy and on that morning (as my surgeon, outside of the office atmosphere where he seemed rushed) he was calm & compassionate.
Describe the protocols Gary Frishman used in your cycles at Women & Infants Hospital and their degree of success.
First cycle so generic protocol for stim.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Women & Infants Hospital.
It was always someone different and I felt line an ID number. They spoke to each other but rarely to me (except for nurse that did my IUI-excellent). A nurse called with mistaken dosing instructions which I knew were wrong (an overdose) but she argued with me and I had to page the doctor on call (Wheeler) who corrected the mistake but never acknowledged it or apsogized (no one did) even though it resulted in a canceled cycle.
Describe your experience with Women & Infants Hospital.
Strength-surgery and procedures. Weakness-communications, patient care. Biggest weakness was errors in communication from doctors to nurse to patient that resulted in cancelled cycle with no apology or responsibility taken. It was extremely upsetting and resulted in months lost.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital.
Insurance covered it all
What specific things went wrong at Women & Infants Hospital?
Provided conflicting information
Failed to convey critical information
Canceled a cycle due to clinic error
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Women & Infants Hospital.
The nurse called and gave me a dose change which I followed. Then I had clear signs of ovulation (prior to retrieval or even trigger-only on day 6), and I called to report several times but was disregarded and told to continue injections at prescribed dose. It was a holiday weekend and my doctor was unavailable. I knew something was wrong but the nurse argued with me, and gave me attitude. I asked for her to double check the instructions with the doctor on call and received more dismissal and attitude; she insisted there was no mistake. I paged the doctor on call anyways-Dr. Wheeler, who called and bluntly told me my cycle was cancelled. She reluctantly confirmed that they had communicated the wrong dose somehow but was harsh in her tone and unapologetic. She was on the phone maybe 2 minutes. My doctor- Frishman-did call after the holiday and apologized (in a CYA way that I know they have to do for legal reasons)-but at least he acknowledged the mistake. He offered remorse and follow up hormone testing which definitively proved I had ovulated on the accidental higher dose instructed. He offered new protocol options going forward but at that point I could not trust his team so I went elsewhere. Unfortunately it was a very negative experience.
He [Dr. Frishman] was kind, caring and honest to our situation...He was sort of quick in our meetings, but explained everything to the best of our ability to understand. He’s demeanor was sweet and professional. Never called me to follow up off hours like another doctor has...We went through 3 fresh cycles and 1 frozen transfer...Working on number 5 now. Fresh cycle with donor sperm since husband has recently been diagnosed with genetic translocation and insurance doesn’t cover genetic testing.
You deal with a lot of different nurses and doctors [at Women & Infants Hospital]. So become familiar with them and know it’s okay. They are all great at what they do...You deal with a lot of different nurses and doctors. So become familiar with them and know it’s okay...We went through 3 fresh cycles and 1 frozen transfer...Working on number 5 now. Fresh cycle with donor sperm since husband has recently been diagnosed with genetic translocation and insurance doesn’t cover genetic testing.
How was your experience with Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
He was sort of quick in our meetings, but explained everything to the best of our ability to understand. He’s demeanor was sweet and professional. Never called me to follow up off hours like another doctor has.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
He’s great, but you don’t see him frequently. The practice is a group, so know you’re seeing all the doctors and not just him.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
He was kind, caring and honest to our situation.
Describe the protocols Gary Frishman used in your cycles at Women & Infants Hospital and their degree of success.
We went through 3 fresh cycles and 1 frozen transfer under his car.
1st fresh- May 2018, lots of drugs and didn’t amount to much. 7 eggs, 4 fertilized 1 transferred. 1 frozen on day 5
2 fresh- July 2018. 11 eggs 8 fertilized 1 transferred day 5, zero frozen.
3rd fresh - October 2018. 11 eggs, 8 fertilized 1 transferred day 5 and 1 frozen. Resulting in chemical pregnancy
4 - first frozen Transfer. January 2019. Didn’t work.
Working on number 5 now. Fresh cycle with donor sperm since husband has recently been diagnosed with genetic translocation and insurance doesn’t cover genetic testing.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Women & Infants Hospital. (Assigned nurse: Hike)
They whole staff is amazing. Thank god for the nurses and all the staff. They are wonderful.
Describe your experience with Women & Infants Hospital.
You deal with a lot of different nurses and doctors. So become familiar with them and know it’s okay. They are all great at what they do.
Ask questions if you want to know what’s going on. They are there to support you along this journey.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital.
Each appointment has been $50, the drugs and everything cost a lot. I don’t remember off the top of my head. The overall bills have been around $8k-$10k
Describe Gary Frishman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Women & Infants Hospital.
He always said since I’ve never been pregnant before, since embryo transfer was the best for my scenario.
He [Dr. Frishman] is a brilliant doctor with incredible experience in this field. I trust him implicitly. He spoke very quickly and at times, was hard to follow. It is important to take notes and to stop him and ask for clarification, if needed. He was always smiling and made even tough appointments light hearted. ... Prescribed Metformin for PCOS and insulin regulation. Didn’t seem to think my diet was an issue. We did timed intercourse and Letrazole after Clomid was ineffective. Bumped up dose for Letrazole three times.
I like that you can get bloodwork done as early as 6:30am [at Women and Infants Hospital]. I rarely am ever waiting very long for bloodwork or ultrasounds. Clinic is clean and seems to be well run. The financial counselor’s office was frustrating at times and they didn’t seem to be available when I needed them or have the information that I was seeking. Sometimes referred me to billing department.
How was your experience with Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
He is a brilliant doctor with incredible experience in this field. I trust him implicitly. He spoke very quickly and at times, was hard to follow. It is important to take notes and to stop him and ask for clarification, if needed. He was always smiling and made even tough appointments light hearted.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
Take notes and ask him to slow down and clarify if needed. He’s done this a long time so sometimes doesn’t speak in layman’s terms. He’s a brilliant doctor.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
Dr. Frishman was highly knowledgeable, spoke clearly and directly, and was able to make my husband and I feel at ease with his sense of humor. It was clear he loved what he did and was an expert in his field.
Describe the protocols Gary Frishman used in your cycles at Women & Infants Hospital and their degree of success.
Prescribed Metformin for PCOS and insulin regulation. Didn’t seem to think my diet was an issue. We did timed intercourse and Letrazole after Clomid was ineffective. Bumped up dose for Letrazole three times.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Women & Infants Hospital.
Nursing staff seemed busy. Lots of new hires in the last year. When they called me to review bloodwork they would leave detailed messages which I appreciated. They didn’t know much about PCOS specific treatment and advice, which was frustrating. They were always compassionate when giving me bad news.
Describe your experience with Women & Infants Hospital.
I like that you can get bloodwork done as early as 6:30am. I rarely am ever waiting very long for bloodwork or ultrasounds. Clinic is clean and seems to be well run. The financial counselor’s office was frustrating at times and they didn’t seem to be available when I needed them or have the information that I was seeking. Sometimes referred me to billing department.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital.
I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Dr. Frishman. He is kind, intelligent and straight forward which we have always appreciated. We were hoping to use the same donor between my partner and I but that plan changed due to some unforeseen circumstances and he Personally called me to check it and make sure I was ok with this. He has guided us on this journey from testing to putting our plan in to motion. My partner carried our beautiful twins and it was all because of him and we couldn't be more grateful. We know he will continue to be apart of our journey moving forward as we add to our family.
The clinic [Womens and Infants] has great staff from the first person at the desk to the last person you see at your appointment. They communicate well and always return phone calls in a timely manner. I always receive results and hear from them when they say I will. They are also very empathetic when giving negative news...We have been doing IUI without success unfortunately but he has followed some testing protocols to make sure that we are not missing anything. He made sure that I was ovulating through a blood test, checked my ovaries through testing, etc.
How was your experience with Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Dr. Frishman. He is kind, intelligent and straight forward which we have always appreciated. We were hoping to use the same donor between my partner and I but that plan changed due to some unforeseen circumstances and he Personally called me to check it and make sure I was ok with this. He has guided us on this journey from testing to putting our plan in to motion. My partner carried our beautiful twins and it was all because of him and we couldn't be more grateful. We know he will continue to be apart of our journey moving forward as we add to our family.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
I would say going in try to think about what you are comfortable and wanting from this process. He will tell you all of the options but ultimately will not decide for you as he wants you to be comfortable and happy and a part of the journey and have some control
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
I felt like a human. He is always kind and considerate and takes his cues from me. He is blunt but yet considerate of my feelings and this process that can at times be very wearing. He always listens and always takes the time to make sure I feel like I have been heard. He's amazing and I'm glad he is part of our journey.
Describe the protocols Gary Frishman used in your cycles at Women & Infants Hospital and their degree of success.
We have been doing IUI without success unfortunately but he has followed some testing protocols to make sure that we are not missing anything. He made sure that I was ovulating through a blood test, checked my ovaries through testing, etc.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Women & Infants Hospital.
Very compassionate and knowledgeable. They were always kind and never rushed us through this process.
Describe your experience with Women & Infants Hospital.
The clinic has great staff from the first person at the desk to the last person you see at your appointment. They communicate well and always return phone calls in a timely manner. I always receive results and hear from them when they say I will. They are also very empathetic when giving negative news.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital.
The costs are something we have to manage with an expense account through work where the money comes out gradually throughout the year or we had to pay out of pocket once that money would run out
Describe Gary Frishman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Women & Infants Hospital.
He is very open but of course within reason. We have discussed this and have been on the same page and understand at all times. He gives the facts and benefits and harm to each of our choices and then let's us talk through them together.
Dr Frishman, is a great dr, both my husband and I trust him. ... He makes sure we are aware he is there anytime if we have questions. ... Dr Frishman, was accurate, informative and had a great bed side manor, he may be fast or speak in Frishman speed but he is always sure to stop and take a moment to make sure everyone understands, is on the same page and has the opportunity to ask questions.
The clinic [Women and Infants Hospital] is clean, and well put together along with the nice staff, the secretary and phlebotomist are always coordinated and kind. ... It is very easy to get around not very difficult to find where you need to go. ... There is one specific nurse Hyke who was very compassionate and helpful, when I was going through a difficult time and they wanted me to stay until blood work came back took about an hour she pulled me from the waiting room and kept me comfortable in a room with a drink and snack.
How was your experience with Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
Dr Frishman, is a great dr, both my husband and I trust him. We like that he is very knowledgeable, understanding, and kind. He makes sure we are aware he is there anytime if we have questions. He has great bedside manors, and has been a blessing to have by our side during such sensitive times.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
Always be a few minutes early or on- time, and don't be afraid to ask questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
Dr Frishman, was accurate, informative and had a great bed side manor, he may be fast or speak in Frishman speed but he is always sure to stop and take a moment to make sure everyone understands, is on the same page and has the opportunity to ask questions.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Women & Infants Hospital.
There is one specific nurse Hyke who was very compassionate and helpful, when I was going through a difficult time and they wanted me to stay until blood work came back took about an hour she pulled me from the waiting room and kept me comfortable in a room with a drink and snack. She is always pleasant no matter the kind of day she is having I would never know cause shes always kind and greets you with a smile.
Describe your experience with Women & Infants Hospital.
The clinic is clean, and well put together along with the nice staff, the secretary and phlebotomist are always coordinated and kind. I don't have any weakness to report. It is very easy to get around not very difficult to find where you need to go.
He's [Dr. Frishman] not the warmest doctor, and he does talk quickly. But he takes time to explain everything and listens to concerns. ... He definitely knows what he's doing and, while not rushing us to IVF, was quick to adjust treatments when things didn't work. He is very professional and not super warm, so if I had had a long and difficult journey he may not have been my first choice. But I have nothing to complain about in my experience.
It's a lovely, professional clinic [Women & Infants Hospital] . You almost never have to wait and everything is very streamlined. ... I never feel concerned about the level of care I will receive. ... They seem to have a lot of success and they are careful to do all necessary tests. ... He [Dr. Frshman] strongly prefers to transfer single embryos. ... We had insurance coverage for 80%, so it actually ended up being very affordable.
How was your experience with Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
Dr. Frishman got us the results we wanted (a beautiful baby boy on our first round of IVF). He definitely knows what he's doing and, while not rushing us to IVF, was quick to adjust treatments when things didn't work. He is very professional and not super warm, so if I had had a long and difficult journey he may not have been my first choice. But I have nothing to complain about in my experience.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
Come prepared to take notes, and bring a list of questions. He talks fast and it is easy to feel rushed.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
He's not the warmest doctor, and he does talk quickly. But he takes time to explain everything and listens to concerns.
Describe your experience with Women & Infants Hospital.
It's a lovely, professional clinic. You almost never have to wait and everything is very streamlined. They seem to have a lot of success and they are careful to do all necessary tests. I never feel concerned about the level of care I will receive.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital.
We had insurance coverage for 80%, so it actually ended up being very affordable. I think that the billing department had some tricks to make sure we got covered for most things, and we didn't pay for much except the drugs.
Describe Gary Frishman's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Women & Infants Hospital.
Dr Frishman was amazing at each visit. He shared information candidly but with compassion and warmth. He made sure we fully understood everything and answered all our questions without getting annoyed. I felt like he was as invested as we were in our outcome. He was able to adjust treatment to make sure that we had a plan we were comfortable with and took the time,-l after conception, to make sure we connected with an OB who was right for us.
The clinic staff [at Women & Infants Hospital-Providence] was responsive and always returned calls promptly. They delivered test results as soon as they were received. I always felt like a human being and not a number with every member of the team.... Dr Frishman was amazing at each visit. He shared information candidly but with compassion and warmth. He made sure we fully understood everything and answered all our questions without getting annoyed. I felt like he was as invested as we were in our outcome. He was able to adjust treatment to make sure that we had a plan we were comfortable with and took the time,-l after conception, to make sure we connected with an OB who was right for us.
How was your experience with Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
Dr Frishman was amazing at each visit. He shared information candidly but with compassion and warmth. He made sure we fully understood everything and answered all our questions without getting annoyed. I felt like he was as invested as we were in our outcome. He was able to adjust treatment to make sure that we had a plan we were comfortable with and took the time,-l after conception, to make sure we connected with an OB who was right for us.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
He goes over information quickly so come prepared with questions and take notes.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital?
Dr Frishman always took time to answer all questions and really listened to us to develop a treatment plan that worked for us.
Describe the protocols Gary Frishman used in your cycles at Women & Infants Hospital and their degree of success.
He removed two uterine polyps then we tried to conceive naturally for about three cycles after I had time to heal. Then we did two rounds of femara. I conceived during the second cycle.
Describe your experience with Women & Infants Hospital.
The clinic staff was responsive and always returned calls promptly. They delivered test results as soon as they were received. I always felt like a human being and not a number with every member of the team.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Gary Frishman at Women & Infants Hospital.